After I resolved the problem, Arian appeared before us without notice. Devastated from her sudden appearance, I shouted, “What the heck are you doing here?”

“So they’re not your friends, just as I suspected,” Arian said to me with a pout.

“That’s not important now! Didn’t I tell you to not go here?” I asked in vexation.

“You don’t have to get angry at me!” Arian reacted, offended by my expression. “I’m only worried about you!”

Worried?

“It’s because you said that it was from your friends. That’s strange, no matter how you look at it. You can’t possibly have anyone like that,” she continued with furrowed eyebrows.

“I at least have a friend or two!”

Talk about rude!

“So you’re the one who betrayed us, Prince,” Yama muttered and glared at me with killing intent.

Shoot! It’s over!

Arian then went between me and Yama’s group. She faced them and said, “You planned to beat me up here, right? Don’t you know that violence is against the school’s regulations?”

Because of that, Yama laughed out loud and got followed by his henchmen.

“We wouldn’t be delinquents if we followed the rules!” Yama continued and walked towards Arian.

“Arian, run, and go to the faculty for help. I’ll buy some time,” I suggested with a serious expression.

“Huh?” Arian reacted with a stupefied look. “Are you even capable of fighting?”

“I can fight using words and I’m good at it.”

“What would that do in this kind of situation?”

“Isn’t the tongue the sharpest weapon capable of killing without bloodshed? My weapon is the strongest of all.”

“Stop joking around, Prince! This is not the time for that!”

“It’s because you appeared after I dealt with everything,” I tsked after I remembered what she did.

“Then, leave this to me. So sit back there and watch,” she said with a confident smile and ran towards Yama.

“Arian!” I shouted with a worried face.

I know that she’s good at taekwondo, but fighting against five guys is beyond idiocy!

“Do you think you can beat us alone?” Yama yelled and readied his fist.

“You’re slow!” Arian said and cart-wheeled towards Yama. Then, with the momentum, she kicked Yama’s face. The impact was so strong that Yama hit the ground with a bang.

Since when did taekwondo and gymnastics merge?

After her attack, Arian landed on the ground in a kneeling position. She then stood up and looked at Yama.

“How dare you do that to the Boss!” one guy yelled and ran towards Arian.

When she saw her attacker, Arian ran towards him. But before they collide, Arian slid on the ground like a soccer player and kicked the feet of the guy. Because of that, he lost his balance and collapsed on the ground.

“Why you!” another one screamed and appeared behind Arian. As a defense, she immediately swept the guy’s legs using her own. With the collision, the guy fell sideways and hit the earth.

“Who’s next?” Arian asked with serious eyes and stood up.

“Don’t be full of yourself, woman!” the next guy yelled and punched Arian. But she dodged it by a backward step. With the guy’s back wide-open, she delivered a kick on him.

“Gwahhh!” the guy reacted out of pain and landed face-first down.

“D*mn you!” the last guy shouted and tried to grab Arian’s body. But because Arian’s reflex was faster, she jumped up first and knee the guy on the chin. And when her shoe touched the earth, everyone was now on the ground with shocked faces.

Meanwhile, I only stood up there, dumb-founded.

She’s... strong...

“So... do you still want to continue?” Arian asked with a serious look at the delinquents.

Even though she only landed one blow on each of them, it was enough to be considerable damage. Suddenly, Yama stood up behind her, still ready to fight.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Darn it! Arian can’t see him from her position!

“This isn’t over, Arian!” Yama yelled and jumped forward towards Arian. She spun around to face him and barely raised her arms.

“Yama!” I screamed and jumped between them, just in time to receive Yama’s punch to the face.

*pow*

Behold my secret move: Facade Shield.

“Prince?” Arian exclaimed in shock.

I slid away, my glasses flew off to the side, and I landed on a sit after my body hit the tree.

“Ouch!” I complained and placed a hand on my back.

She’s fighting a guy this strong? I almost flew from that attack!

“Why you!” Arian said and delivered a roundhouse kick on Yama’s side body.

*crack*

“Ughhh!” Yama groaned in pain after his rib cage felt the impact. He then collapsed on the ground while his hands on his damaged side.

“Come to me! I won’t run from any of you!” Arian announced to the delinquents and everyone twitched. Her voice was enough to make them cower in fear.

Now I’m glad to be on her side. Wait. Wouldn’t I suffer the same fate as them if I ticked her off for real?

After that, Yama stood up and removed his mask. He had a serious face as she looked into Arian’s eyes. Both of them glared at each other.

“I lost this fight, Arian,” Yama said. It made Arian a little surprised. “You’re the strongest I’ve ever faced yet.”

“Thanks... I guess,” Arian responded with a conflicted expression.

“I’m gonna train more so will you accept my challenge again?”

“Uhmm... sorry, but I’ll refuse,” Arian answered with squinted eyes.

With Arian’s reply, Yama smiled and announced, “Men, let’s go.”

“Boss?” his comrades reacted and stood up.

“Didn’t I tell you you won’t get away this time?” Arian said with a sudden smug face.

“Stop there!” a group of people shouted as they ran towards us. There were two guards and three male teachers in them.

“So you brought teachers and guards with you,” I muttered and looked at Arian with squinted eyes. “Aren’t they late though?”

“I only called them through phone after listening to your conversation, you know.”

The guards then apprehended the delinquents. As respect to Arian, Yama ordered his underlings to not resist.

“Hey. Prince’s face is swollen. Is he fine?” one teacher asked Arian with a worried look.

“It’s okay. I’m gonna take him to the nurse’s office now,” Arian replied with a smile.

“Okay. We’ll bring these guys to the guidance office, so go there after that.”

After that, everyone left the scene with the exclusion of Arian and me.

I stood up and stretched my shoulders. Then, I patted the dust on my clothes and pants. Arian picked up my glasses and checked it before she approached me with an unusual worried expression.

“Are you okay, Prince?” she asked and handed over my glasses.

“Yeah,” I answered and took it from her.

Thank goodness, there’s no crack.

“That’s one tough spectacles,” she commented as she looked at the lenses.

After I checked my glasses, I wore it and gave her my thanks.

“It’s because it’s expensive,” I answered and touched my swollen cheek. “Ouch!”

“Idiot! Don’t touch it!” she said and lightly grabbed my hand. Because of that, we looked at each other’s eyes in daze.

What the heck? What’s up with this situation?

“Ah, sorry,” Arian apologized and let go of my hand. Out of awkwardness, we averted our gaze from each other.

Why is my heart beating this fast, anyway? This girl is Arian, you know! What is wrong with you, Prince?

“So... why did you help me?” Arian asked while her eyes on the ground.

I wonder too.

“I guess... as an apology for shaming you in public back then,” I replied and scratched my head, my vision to the side.

“I... see. Then we’re now even,” Arian muttered in a cheerful tone. Then, she looked at me with a serious face and said, “But what’s up with your solution earlier? That’s beyond dangerous, you know.”

“But it’s much safer compared to yours,” I said with a poker face.

“It is, but you only solved my problem. Those guys would still harass others if left like that, you know,” she lectured, worried.

“So you called out to them to buy some time until the teachers apprehend them.”

As her confirmation, she nodded.

“They need punishment according to the school regulations, right?” Arian said with a smile.

And I’m sure Yama and the others will mention Ron’s name in their counsel.

“I guess... you have a better solution… at least this time. I’ll give you that,” I muttered after I averted my gaze.

Astounded from my words, she immediately faced her back to me.

“So you can say things like that...” she whispered.

“Come again?”

Then, she shook her head and asked, “Am I the reason… you don’t make friends in our class?”

“No. Not even close.”

She became surprised and asked, “Then, why?”

“I decided to not make friends anymore, that’s all,” I answered, with an implication to my tone that I don’t want her to ask any further.

“I see...” she murmured and faced me with a charming smile. “Then, do you want to be friends with me at least?”

As the setting sun’s rays shine the surrounding, all I could do was to stare at Arian’s smile as time felt like it stopped. That rare sight made me speechless before her beauty.

“Prince?” she called with a puzzled expression because of my silence.

“I... will pass this time,” I answered and looked away with blushed cheeks.

She then smiled and asked, “Can you walk?”

“Yeah,” I responded and Arian skipped forward. Then, with a smile, I followed her lead.

I guess I can now see why she receives a lot of love confessions.

Then, because I realized that everything finally got solved, my legs gave out. In a stumble, I grabbed the nearest thing I could and took it with me on the ground. It was no other than Arian’s skirt again.

“Wha—” Arian reacted with a red face, with her eyes to the path before her.

On my stomach at the ground, I looked up and saw her white underwear.

“Listen. Everyone already saw your underwear earlier because of how you jump from time to time. So this scenery is not new to me,” I explained nervously.

When she heard my failure of an explanation, her shoulders twitched. She then knelt and grabbed her skirt. She wore it again and faced me with the eyes of a killer.

Déjà vu?

“Uhmm... please kick the other side of my cheek. Thank you,” I requested and closed my eyes after I accepted my fate.

“You perverted dweeb!”

*whack*

Then, my scream of pain got heard throughout the area.

──◈─▣─♕─▣─◈──

The next day, Ron got suspended along with Yama and the others. Also, Ron apologized to Arian as his reflection on his actions. Contented to the conclusion, I prepared my bag and walked to the library.

“Prince,” Arian called after I exited the room.

I faced her and asked, “Why?”

“You’re on cleaning duty,” she continued with squinted eyes.

“I’m... feeling sick,” I bluffed and looked away a little.

“Ah!” she reacted and pointed a finger to me. “You’re lying, aren’t you?”

“Adios!” I said and ran away.

“Why you...” she whispered in agitation. She then inhaled and yelled, “Come back here, Prince Dweeb!”

And our hostility to each other continued... but not that bad anymore compared to the first time we met.